# CVE-2026-114143: toml-node: Quadratic-complexity DoS via long dotted keys or table paths in toml.parse()


- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 28 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9j65-hcg3-gc64, ROOT-APP-NPM-CVE-2026-114143

## What is CVE-2026-114143?

CVE-2026-114143 is a high-severity vulnerability in BinaryMuse toml-node, published on 21 Oct 2026. 

### Official description

toml-node is a TOML parser for Node.js and the browser. Prior to 5.0.1, toml.parse() repeatedly slices and rejoins every path prefix in lib/compiler.js while processing long dotted keys, table headers, array-of-tables headers, and inline-table keys in assign(), deepRef(), and setNestedKey(). The resulting quadratic work can block the Node.js event loop for several seconds, and sufficiently long paths can terminate the process through memory exhaustion. The maxDepth option does not limit key-segment count and therefore does not mitigate this path. This issue is fixed in version 5.0.1.

Weakness: CWE-407 (Inefficient Algorithmic Complexity)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-114143?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including toml.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `toml` | npm | All versions | 5.0.1 |
| `toml` | npm | All versions | 5.0.1 |

## How do I fix CVE-2026-114143?

Upgrade toml to 5.0.1 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-114143 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-114143 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-114143 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-114143 is a high-severity vulnerability in BinaryMuse toml-node, published on 21 Oct 2026. 
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-114143 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- toml (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 5.0.1
- toml (npm): affected all versions; fixed in 5.0.1

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-114143/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-114143/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-114143
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-114143
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-114143

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-114143/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.